The Order of the Rose
by The Storyteller Saga
Summary: After his great-grandfather's death, David discovers that he was part of a mysterious order of Storytellers who traveled among the worlds created by the minds of humanity. David must now take up the mantle of his family and continue the work of the order. In his first mission, David is thrust into a strange world where the elements themselves are subject to the whims of people.
1. Prologue

"Let me tell you a story"

It is an age old phrase as old as humanity itself. For as long as humans have been alive, they have been telling stories. From scratched drawings on cave walls to Shakespeare to Tolkien, there have always been men who tell stories.

They say that a story, once told, takes on a life of its own. They don't know just how right they are. You see, stories actually have a literal, physical life. For every story that has ever been imagined by a person, there exists a reality in which it is...well…real.

However, one cannot have stories without conflict, and these worlds are constantly in danger.

This is where the Storytellers come in. A valiant group of brave men and women with the innate ability to travel to these worlds, dedicated to preserving them. This proud order lasted in secret for hundreds of years, vowing to restore balance and order from the chaos of the Storylands.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. The ability to move in between worlds became rarer and rarer with each passing year until there were only two Storytellers left. In a heroic gesture, one of them sacrificed his life in order to create a gateway to the Storylands that was open to all, even those who did not possess the gift.

The second lived out his life and sired many children. When his time came, he carefully selected one of his children to reveal his secret to, and thus carry on his legacy.

His line has continued to this day, weathering wars, uprisings and the fall of great powers; always one lone Storyteller carrying out the ancient duties thrust upon them.

You may be wondering what the Storyteller is doing now. What worlds have they saved? Who have they befriended? Who are they?

Well…let me tell you a story.


	2. Chapter 1

David shivered as the biting cold penetrated his thin suit. In different circumstances he would be annoyed at his mother for insisting that he wear something so flimsy in weather like this, but all he felt was emptiness. He should feel _something_ , but he felt hollow, as if something had been removed from him.

Something had been, of course. Someone, to be precise. _Great-grandpa Ben_ , he thought with a sigh. He felt, more than heard, the coffin hit the bottom of the grave. Fond memories raced through David's head. The small house where his great-grandfather spent his final three decades, the warm summer days spent playing in the small yard outside it, cold winter evenings spent in its living room, talking, the endless games of chess, which David rarely won. Sometimes Ben would give David puzzles to solve and codes to break. Invariably they would yield trails of clues that would lead to some small present or surprise. Ben had loved his codes. He taught David everything he knew about them and he would leave little encoded messages all around the house for the boy to find. Many were still there because David had been unsuccessful in cracking them. So many secrets.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, David focused on the people standing around him to distract himself from the bittersweet memories. He was standing at the back of the crowd; he was afraid he might cry and he didn't want his family to see him like that. His mother, however had no such inhibition. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Great-grandpa Ben was her grandfather on her father's side. The rest of the attendees were not quite as free with their emotions. Ben's death was tragic, true, but hardly unexpected. The man had lived to a hundred and three, living to see his great-grandchild enter adulthood. He had lived a long and full life.

David's eyes wandered to his right and he started. There was a stranger standing next to him. His face wasn't visible from David's vantage point, but judging by his stark, white hair he was probably an old man. The stranger's old-fashioned suit seemed to support this. It came as a shock, then, when the man turned to face David and he saw that the man's face was smooth and quite youthful. The man approached, extending his hand. "You must be David" he said, his voice pleasant and melodious. David accepted the handshake, nodding. The stranger cupped David's hand in both of his own, shaking it warmly. "My deepest condolences", he said, "I was a friend of Ben's."

"Then how come I've never seen you around?" David replied automatically.

As the words left his mouth he winced, realizing how belligerent and rude he sounded.

"Um…sorry…I just…I…" His voice petered out and he fell into an embarrassed silence.

The stranger lifted an eyebrow quizzically and smiled. "I understand, young man" he reassured David, "It is oftentimes hard to think properly after such an event." He gestured toward the grave, which was being filled.

"I didn't get to meet with dear, old Ben as often as I would have liked, but we were fast friends all the same. He mentioned you often, though we never got to meet."

David finally found his voice, "I…I'm sorry" he stammered, feeling inadequate.

"Think nothing of it, my boy" said the man with a warm smile.

The stranger peered intently at David's face. "You look just like he did at your age" he murmured.

"Who?"

"Ben, of course. You have his vibrant green eyes."

"You mean he showed you pictures of himself?" David asked, bewildered.

"No, he didn't", the man answered distractedly, still studying David's face.

David came to the conclusion that the man wasn't all there, for he seemed convinced that he had seen Ben at David's age more than eighty years ago, when he couldn't be older than thirty.

The man seemed to remember something and ceased his examination of David's face. "I came to pay my respects to Ben and to see him off," he said, "But I came here mostly to see you and to warn you that things are going to change very soon. You will receive some rather unexpected news, and even more unexpected events will follow. Then we will meet again." His voice carried a note of finality as if what he had said was preordained and unavoidable.

David smiled, amused, indulging the stranger's delusion.

"So young," the man continued. "So young to take up such a great burden." He was muttering now, as if speaking to himself. "Ben tried to hold on as long as he could to give you time to grow up and mature. I told him his granddaughter could take over, but he was adamant, he wanted you. I suppose he succeeded, but you're still so young."

"What d'you mean young?" David asked, indignant. "You can't be more than a few years older than me."

The stranger gave an obscure smile, "I've aged well" he said, simply.

"So, you're, like, forty or something?" David asked.

"I'll see you again soon" the stranger said, ignoring David's question. "Until then, farewell." The man gave a small bow and vanished.

David stared in astonishment; the man hadn't just walked away, he had simply disappeared. One moment he was there, and the next, without any warning or sound, he was simply gone. David's mind scrambled for any possible explanation. The most convincing one I came up with was that David had simply been caught up in a particularly vivid daydream. David decided to accept that rationalization and to think nothing more of the incident. That is, of course, until two days later, when the stranger's prediction came to pass.

* * *

David stifled a yawn as everyone sat down. He hadn't gotten much sleep in recent nights. He'd had troubling recurring dreams in which Great-grandpa Ben was sitting across from him at a table, eyeing him sadly, and telling him how sorry he was. The dream always ended with David waking up in a cold sweat before he could ask Ben what he was sorry for. He hadn't the slightest idea what it meant.

David looked up, suddenly alert, as Mr. Stern walked in carrying a slim, black briefcase. Mr. Stern was the lawyer appointed to read great-grandpa Ben's will. True to his name, he was gruff, taciturn, and wouldn't know a joke if it slapped him in the face. He also made it abundantly clear that he would rather be anywhere but there.

"All right, let's get this over with", he grumbled, earning himself disapproving frowns and glares from several of the crowd members.

He set his briefcase down on the table, removed a document from it, and began to read.

"Here is the last will and testament of Benjamin Edmund Crowley. Hello friends. If you are reading this, I am probably dead. Well, that or I have gone gallivanting around the world without saying a word to anyone. However, I doubt that I will have grown so inconsiderate in my old age, so we shall assume the former." The flippancy of the words were at a sharp contrast with Mr. Stern's dry tone and indifferent expression.

The lawyer droned on about clauses and sub-clauses within the will. David tried to pay attention to the reading, but found himself zoning in and out. Finally, his attention was caught by Mr. Stern announcing his name.

"To David I leave a precious gift, but with it a grave duty and responsibility."

David perked up, he didn't expect to be left anything.

"David, you will discover what these are in due course, but for now, let it be known that I leave my mansion in the countryside to my great-grandson, David."

David was confused. What mansion? If great-grandpa Ben had a mansion, why not live there?

David turned to his mother, "I didn't know he had a mansion."

David's mother stood up. "Excuse me, Mr. Stern? There must be some sort of mistake, my grandfather didn't own a mansion." The lawyer looked up from returning the document to his briefcase. "Well, that's what it says. And besides, the bank has confirmed the authenticity of the claims of ownership made in this will, including the mansion."

"But…but" Angeline trailed off as Mr. Stern made a hasty getaway.

"Did anyone know about this?" she demanded of the crowd. There was a general, confused murmur.

David, however, was thoughtful. What did great-grandpa Ben want him to find in that mansion?


	3. Chapter 2

David pulled up in front of the mansion. It loomed over him like ship's prow, casting him in shadow. It looked old. Very old. In fact, it looked as if it hadn't been touched in years. Though the structure remained stable, the façade was crumbling and the gardens were wildly overgrown.

As David exited his car and approached the front gate, he thought he heard some rustling in the tangle of overgrown plants. Apparently, some of the local wildlife had decided to make this place their home.

The front door was large and impressive-looking. Its wood was intricately carved, though the specific designs were hard to make out. David pushed the door in with difficulty, as the hinges were rusted and the wood was overgrown with climbing plants and weeds.

The foyer was just as large as the outside of the building lead him to believe. The lofty ceiling was buttressed by several large statues. Several suits of medieval armor decorated the fringes of the massive room and beautiful tapestries graced the walls. David felt as if he had just stepped into a place which time hadn't touched for hundreds of years. The place looked like an ancient European castle brought to life. The illusion was slightly ruined, however, by the thick layer of dust obscuring everything.

David continued to explore the mansion, hoping to find whatever great-grandpa Ben had hinted at in his will.

He came across a gigantic dining room that looked as if it could seat at least a hundred people. The curtains were drawn back from the enormous windows, letting the light play across the tables. As David entered, he stirred up some of the dust. The yellow light caught every mote of it, illuminating them until it seemed like David was in a maelstrom of molten gold.

As the disturbed dust settled, David noticed an irregularity in the smooth sheen of the table next to him. Several irregularities, actually. As he drew closer to them, his heart leaped in his chest. They were words written in the dust!

 _My dear David_ , the words read, _Knowing you, the dining room will be the first room you seek out. Therefore our little game will begin from here._ David smiled slightly, remembering the games he used to play with great-grandpa Ben. They seemed so long ago. He continued reading. _You will find what you seek in the third room on the right on the third floor._ David raised an eyebrow. He thought this very strange, as his great-grandfather had delighted in intricate puzzles and elaborate riddles. This, however, was very straightforward.

Feeling a vague sense of disappointment at not being able to play one final game with Ben, David located the room specified by the writing.

It was locked.

Feeling a grin creep onto his lips, David enjoyed the familiar thrill of excitement that had always preceded the challenges great-grandpa Ben threw at him.

Examining the door, David noticed a piece of paper pierced by a dagger, shadowed by the doorframe. He removed it and wasted no time in reading the message written on it.

 _Surely you didn't think it would be that easy?_ David had no doubt that his grandfather wrote these. He could easily hear his great-grandfather speaking the words aloud in his head. _Let's have a little chase, you and I._

 _The map to the Key is sundered to four,_

 _You must read all of them to unlock the Door_

 _None of the parts is like its brothers_

 _If you can read one, you can't read the others_

 _To find the First Key, the first of the parts_

 _You must find the room where every Day starts_

The room where every day starts. He must mean the bedroom. Ben's challenges always began ridiculously easily to throw David off and lull him into a false sense of security.

Turning over the note, David found what he assumed was the map the riddle mentioned. It was in the form of another riddle.

It was complete gibberish.

David began to understand the nature of the challenge he was up against. Each key was in fact a word or phrase that would give him a clue as to how decode part of the map.

Pocketing the dagger, which had a heavy pommel carved in the shape of a rose, David set out in search of the master bedroom.

True to Ben's old formula, the bedroom wasn't hard to find. Like the rest of the house, it was smothered with dust which made it hard to see the details of the room. However, David could see that this room was once very grand. The ceiling was covered in a giant mural of the night sky with, as far as David could tell, authentic reproductions of all the constellations. The large east facing window ensured that the sleeper would wake up at the crack of dawn every day. Last, but not least, the bed was an enormous four-poster with a king-sized mattress and maroon colored curtains that could be drawn for privacy.

The note containing the Key awaited David on the mattress, its crisp white color at odds with the dull grey of the all-encompassing dust.

 _What a large bed! Fit for a King!_

 _This King had his share of tossing and turning_

 _Unfortunately, his reign was brought to an end_

 _Most tragically, by the hand of his Friend_

 _To find the next Key, you must not yield_

 _Look for the Rose in the heart of the Shield_

So he was looking for a king? A king who had been deposed by his friend. Tragically. That implied that the change in power had been violent, possibly fatal. So, a famous king that had been assassinated by his friend. The first instance that came to mind was Julius Caesar. The more David thought about it, the more he became convinced of it. Great-grandpa Ben had been an admirer of Shakespeare's works, which had popularized the historical assassination. But what did that mean?

David pondered it for a while, idly fiddling with the dagger in his pocket. Struck by a sudden thought, he pulled it out and began examining it. Caesar had been assassinated by stabbing. Maybe the dagger was significant. However, its only distinguishing characteristics were the heavy rose shaped pommel and vine design etched into the blade and the leather wrapped around the grip.

When the answer finally came to him, he laughed out loud. It was so simple. The first key was in Caesar cipher. Caesar had developed this simple code to encrypt military missives containing sensitive information. Every letter was moved three places along in the alphabetic order, so to decode it; one simply had to move every letter three places back.

Excited, David began to decode the map. After a few minutes, though, he stopped, frustrated by one simple fact: the map was still unintelligible. He must have the wrong cipher. No, it couldn't be, it fit together too well.

 _The simplest answer is not always the truest._ His great-grandfather's voice resonated in his mind. He used to say that at times like this, when the excitable boy had become frustrated with the lack of easy answers in their games.

He was right, of course. He couldn't jump to conclusions. He had to review what he actually knew.

He was in the middle of a wild goose chase set up by his great-grandfather before his death to find some sort of secret he wanted to share with him. That meant that these clues would be aimed specifically at him, possibly requiring him to utilize knowledge that Ben had shared only with him. Like what? A technique? A certain skill? He had no idea.

Unbidden, his mind went back to when he and Ben used to play their games. The thrill of the chase, the frustration of obstacles and the flush of victory. Ben had been so committed to giving his great-grandson a challenge that he created his own style of encryption that he shared only with-

That was it!

Great-grandpa Ben had developed his own code that only he and David had known about! That must be the answer! It was based on the Vigenère cipher, requiring a key word or phrase to decode the message.

On a hunch, David began to decode the first two lines of the map using the keyword "Caesar". He grinned in satisfaction when the cipher began to become clear. It didn't make sense yet, not without context, but that would be rectified when he found the other keywords.

Speaking of which, where was the next one?

 _To find the next Key, you must not yield_

 _Look for the Rose in the heart of the Shield_

Rose? Shield? Once again, David was stumped.

The first clue was historical; maybe the next one was, too. The War of the Roses, maybe? The long and bloody succession war between the families of Lancaster and York in 15th century England. Maybe the shield referred to the coat of arms of one of the sides. They were roses in shields. White roses for the Yorks and red ones for the Lancasters. David tried the words "war", "Lancaster", "York" and many variations thereof, but without success.

After some time of silent contemplation, David glanced out the window and was surprised by how dark it had become. He probably wouldn't have time to get back home at a decent hour; he might as well sleep here. He didn't bring anything with him, but he could make do.

Clearing the enormous from as much dust as he could, David laid down and instantly fell into a deep sleep; and for the first time in days, he wasn't disturbed by any nightmares.

* * *

True to his prediction, David was awoken at the crack of dawn by rays of sunlight lancing in through his window. Groaning, he pulled himself upright, momentarily confused as to where he was. In a moment, though, it all came back to him; the mansion, the puzzle. Glancing around the room, David's eye was caught by a glint on the ceiling. Looking up, he started; the constellations on the ceiling were sparkling! A ray of sunlight lanced into the room, searing his eyes. Furiously blinking back tears, David tried to clear his vision. Looking back up at the stars above him, he realized they were only painted. No glowing or sparkling. It must have been a trick of the light or the vestiges of a dream. He rubbed his eyes, yawning, dreading what the day would bring. He didn't feel up to solving anything more complex than a cup of coffee. Easing himself to his feet, David set out in search of breakfast.

Later, in the mansion's expansive kitchen, David felt much more awake, having consumed some oatmeal he had found in a cupboard. Raw, unfortunately, since he didn't have milk, water or any way to boil it.

Sticking his hands in his pockets, David realized he still had the dagger with him. He slid it into his belt, for fear of cutting a hole in his pockets. Besides, it looked better like that. David was in no hurry to get back to yesterday's frustrating riddle, so he took his time, enjoying the scenery.

Passing through the majestic foyer once more, David slowed to get a closer look at the suits of armor. Tarnished by the long years of neglect, they exuded an air of ancient pride and melancholy loneliness. Examining them closely, David saw that each of the ten knights who had owned these suits of armor had each had different crests emblazoned on their shields. An oak tree, a seven-armed candelabrum, a sun and many others.

David's heart skipped a beat. The shield belonging to the central piece had a large rose etched into its center. _The Rose in the heart of the Shield!_

Excitedly, David examined the shield, trying to find some sort of clue as where to go next. He finally found a tiny piece of paper wedged into a crevice between the shield and the gauntlet grasping it.

 _The Second Key is right in front of your nose_

 _Though you may think it is, it is not the Rose_

 _Now you should go and find the Third_

 _To find it you must think like a Bird_

 _Where do you think you would want to sleep?_

 _In a dark place, probably, where small things creep_

David had to find the second keyword before going anywhere else. Fortunately, this one was fairly simple. In front of his nose, but not "rose". It had to be "shield". Sure enough, the next two lines were decoded without difficulty.

Returning the growing map to his pocket, David scrutinized the rest of the riddle. The wording made him shiver with apprehension. He hated dark places, especially dark places where one could find small things creeping. There were two places that fit the criteria, in David's opinion: the basement and the attic. Of the two, the attic made more sense. Where else would a bird roost? Determined not to let his uneasiness get the better of him, David set out toward the attic.

It was even worse than he imagined. It was pitch black with a stifling sense of claustrophobia and what smelled like enough dust to cover a small country. Pinching his nose to prevent himself from sneezing, David felt along the wall, looking for a light switch. There wasn't one. Fighting down a growing sense of panic, David began to search for a window he could open; more for the reassurance of light than the light itself. Finally, blessedly, his fingers brushed against threadbare fabric. Curtains. Throwing them open, David breathed a heavy sigh of relief at the rays of early-morning sun penetrating the dark room.

Turning around to reassess the attic, David realized that the hypothetical country the dust would cover was a little larger than he had originally assumed. It was everywhere, covering every nook and cranny. It made him feel like sneezing just by looking at it. His hand back in place on his nose, David began to search the stuffy attic for anything bird-related.

The dust made it hard, but eventually he found a battered birdcage. Examining the inside of the cage, he realized the cage still had an occupant. Horrified, David dropped the cage as if burned and took a step back. The thing in the cage didn't move. Carefully, he approached and took a closer look at the bird. It was a fake. Feeling slightly foolish, he noticed that time had taken its toll on the bird and that it was hardly recognizable as one at all. In fact, it was so old that the seams were coming apart and the metal insides were visible. At one point it must have been a beautiful thing; its bright feathers and, if the metal innards were anything to judge by, its song would have been quite the treat. The note wasn't hard to spot; clean white against the dirty gray.

 _Look at this bird, this lowly thing_

 _I once saw a Bird fit for a King_

 _Its vibrant plumage shone in the pyre_

 _As I saw it reborn, rising from Fire_

The Phoenix. It had to be. The supernatural bird, known primarily from Greek mythology, also appeared in many other cultures around the world: the Ancient Egyptian bennu, the Russian firebird, the Persian simurgh, and so on. It was known for its ability to regenerate its body after attaining a great age by bursting into flames and rising, reborn, from their own ashes. It was always a symbol of rebirth or immortality.

David tried decoding the next two lines of the map using the keyword "phoenix". It worked. The text became legible. Only two lines remained gibberish. It was time to find the last key. David read the rest of the note.

 _The Fourth Key, perhaps, is the hardest to find_

 _You must be sharp and keen of mind_

 _It resides in the Library; that much I will say_

 _But you need not fear it will be stolen away_

 _For, you see, the Key and the Library are One_

 _Find the Key and you'll see you have won_

This was it. The final line of defense. Anyone other than him wouldn't be able to figure this out. This was far from reassuring. The first time Ben had done this, using his own cipher only they had known, it had taken him forever to figure it out, and that was for the first key. This was the ultimate challenge for him, crafted by someone who was intimately familiar with his thought processes. Well, at least he knew where to look. That did little to lessen his apprehension, though.

* * *

The library was a sight to behold. It seemed even bigger that the foyer. It was gargantuan. The late afternoon sun illuminated a quote etched into the vast ceiling. "Treasure the stories, for they are our strength, our lives and our salvation." The words were positioned in a way that they were visible from every point in the library.

Were they the keyword? David experimented with several versions of the quote, but none worked. It wouldn't be that easy.

The sheer size of the library was only eclipsed by David's dismay. He was supposed to find a single word in this monster of a room? And in a library, no less!

Not wanting to waste any time, David began to forage through the shelves. The layout seemed to be designed to confuse and lead astray. Gaps between the shelves often doubled back on themselves and set out in unexpected directions, completely ruining the overall symmetry of the library and getting a certain young man hopelessly lost. David wasn't sure he could find the exit even if he tried. The giant writing on the ceiling provided him with some idea as to where he was, but he could never know whether a corridor would stay true to its course, deviate to a completely different direction or even lead to a dead end.

The entire place was giving David a queer feeling; a nagging sensation that he was missing something.

Not knowing exactly what he was looking for, David began to read the titles of the books as he walked past. Some were familiar, but most were not. He even saw some fairly recent publications. Frowning, he removed one of the books he recognized. It had come out barely a few months ago, yet it was in this dusty, old mansion that looked as if no one had visited for years. Opening the tome and reading a few lines at random, David confirmed that it was, in fact, the same book. Why would an abandoned old mansion have a book in it that didn't exist until a recently?

Unless…it wasn't abandoned.

Hastily returning the book to the shelf as quietly as he could, David tried to quell the feeling of panic rising in his throat. Was that a bookshelf groaning under its load or being jostled by a passing person? Was that the flutter of a pigeon's wings outside or a flurry of footsteps?

Was that a shadowy figure creeping toward him?

Losing all composure, David bolted down the corridor back the way he had come. Heart racing, David pounded down the corridor, looking for a way out.

Left turn. Right turn. Switchback. Left again. David didn't think about where he was going. He only tried to get away from whatever was behind him, if there was something at all. He didn't care. He just wanted to get out of this interminable maze of books.

After what felt like hours, David collapsed, exhausted. He hadn't found the way out. The labyrinthine library had him trapped. Breathing heavily, he tried to calm his racing heart. The light from outside had almost disappeared. Checking his watch, David was mildly surprised to find that he had been on this wild goose chase for hours; it was already evening.

Looking around him, he saw he had come to the wall of the library. Tall ladders leaned against the walls at regular intervals, allowing access to the tomes stored in the walls. A small detached part of David's mind noted that, strangely, the thick layers of dust he had encountered throughout the house were conspicuously absent from the shelves.

He had to find his way out of here. But… maybe he should rest a bit. Yes just for a moment before…

* * *

 _He was still in the library. The sense of urgency was gone. He felt so calm. No, he had to get out, didn't he? But why would he want to do that? He was home._

 _He rose above the shelves, looking down at his domain. Yes, this was where he belonged. He loved this place. Every story was precious, stretching on into infinity like this place._

 _The shelves which seemed so disorganized a moment ago now made perfect sense. Every row was exactly where it needed to be in order to... what? Why did the shelves have to be like this? There was a reason, he was sure of it._

 _He rose higher and higher. He could now see the tops of the shelves. They were in a pattern, they…_

* * *

David rose abruptly, only to collide headfirst with the shelf above him. With a hand held against his smarting cranium, he tried to ignore the pain.

He knew the answer.

It all made sense. The maze-like quality of the library, the strange way corridors seemed to contradict all logic. _The Key and the Library are One_.

Rushing to the nearest ladder, David began to climb furiously. The shelves sank down as the vast library unfolded before him. He climbed higher, seeking a good vantage point.

Finally, he stopped and turned away from the wall. The shelves stretched on and on, gleaming in the morning sunlight. David gaped in astonishment. He was right! The shelves twisted and turned to form one enormous word.

 _Create._

That was it; the last keyword. It was one with the library, so it couldn't be stolen away. Flushed with victory and with a broad grin on his face, David realized he still couldn't find his way out of the library. Examining the ceiling, he judged where the entrance would be and tried to find a path that would lead there. Fortunately, there was a blessedly straight path along the wall that led in that direction. Descending the ladder, he set off toward the exit.

Outside the library, David let out a sigh, relieved, but exhilarated. He did it! He would have made Ben proud. He was about to begin decoding the final part of the map when his stomach let out an angry growl. David paused; he hadn't realized how long ago his last meal was. Before decoding the puzzle, he set off to the kitchens once more.

After a hearty but rather bland breakfast, David compiled the disparate parts of the map to the key.

 _Well done, well done, you are commended_

 _But now, however, our romp is ended_

 _You wanted a chase, and a chase you got,_

 _Although, I'm afraid it was all for naught_

 _You saw the Key at the very beginning_

 _In plain sight and ripe for the winning_

 _Turn the Rose thrice in the way of the Clock_

 _Then you will see the way to unlock_

The key was there the whole time? Despite his considerable annoyance, David felt a grudging respect for Ben. This kind of thing was exactly his style; making him dance around, thinking he was doing something important, when, in fact, it was all a wild goose chase.

He had to find the key now. It had a rose on it. Was it the shield? No, that wasn't at the beginning. What else had a rose on it?

The dagger!

Excitedly, he removed the blade from his pocket with fumbling fingers. _Turn the Rose thrice in the way of the Clock._ Grasping the heavy rose shaped pommel firmly, David twisted it clockwise three times. To his astonishment, the unscrewed pommel fell away completely, revealing that the pommel was, in fact, the head of an ornate key hidden inside the blade. The craftsmanship was superb. The burnished bronze was carved with a vine motif along the shaft, mirroring the blade it had emerged from. The head was equally impressive; detailed to a point where even a master locksmith would be hard pressed to duplicate it.

Hurrying back to the locked room he had found two days ago, David turned the key in the lock with a satisfying click. The room beyond the door was something of a disappointment. It was completely bare except for a large mahogany wardrobe standing opposite the door. Attached to the front of the wardrobe was one final note covered in Ben's scrawling handwriting.

 _My dearest David…_


	4. Chapter 3

_My dearest David,_ the note read.

 _You may have noticed by now that something strange is about in this house. If so, you are right. If not, you haven't been very observant._

 _I haven't much time to explain. I fear my life is measured now in hours, if not minutes. Do not grieve for me. I have lived a long and full life; longer and fuller than I care to remember._

 _My good friend Edmund will no doubt explain the details to you, but here are the bare bones of what you must know. I am, or was, I should say, part of a covert organization dedicated to the preservation of stories. Now, you may ask why one would go to such lengths to keep oneself secret when all they do is collect books. Well, you see, it is so much more than that. Stories are real. Not in the metaphorical sense, but literally. All the stories of mankind have a life of their own and exist separate from our world. Separate, but not independent. As you undoubtedly know, a basic component of a story is a conflict that gets resolved by the end. However, that is not always the case. Occasionally, the storyteller will overestimate the abilities of his or her characters and put them into a conflict against which they cannot prevail. That, my dear boy, is where we come in. The ancient order of the Storytellers, the Brotherhood of the Rose; we are known by many names throughout history. We are the ones called upon to enter these worlds, these fruits of mankind's imagination, and nudge the story towards its intended resolution. These missions take many forms, and, as such, you must play many roles: those of a warrior or a physician, a man of action or a wise philosopher, a war general or a peacekeeper._

 _I could say that you had a choice in whether or not you take up this mantle, but then I would be lying. You are the only viable candidate to continue the noble work of the Order. Should you refuse to do this, all of the Storylands will be doomed. I am deeply sorry to have to foist this great responsibility upon you._

 _I feel my time coming._

 _You must be brave, my boy. You will have to endure many horrors, losses and tragedies in this line of work, but you will also witness wonders beyond your imagining, experience great happiness and peace. Focus on these, and you will retain your sanity. Dwelling on dark things is a long and slippery slope. Do not tempt it._

 _I hope that these words will provide some solace and comfort before diving into this new world._

 _Enter the wardrobe and all will be made clear._

 _Goodbye David,_

 _Great-grandpa Ben_

David didn't know what to think. On the one hand, he felt the grief, buried under the events of the last few days, resurface. It was as sharp as the day he had heard the news. On the other hand, his common sense was screaming at him that his beloved great-grandfather was a complete loony.

Confused and hurt, David wasn't in his right mind. If he would have stopped and thought about it for a few minutes he probably would have gone home, ignoring Ben's instructions. Consumed as he was with hurt, confusion and an overwhelming desire to find proof of Ben's sanity, no matter where, David did the one thing that seemed rational at the time: he entered the wardrobe.

It was dark; and a lot larger than it looked from the outside. David's fingers brushed against the many fur coats hung up inside, searching for the back wall. He didn't find it. Instead, it seemed like there was another row of coats hanging behind the first one. Probing further, David completely entered the dark space. With a bang, the door slammed shut, plunging him into darkness.

Panic immediately consumed him. All rational thought gone, David began pounding on the door trying to force it open. When that didn't work, he began frantically probing the walls, searching for another way out. Stumbling through the rows of coats, one single clear thought broke through the fog: there seemed to be an awful lot of coats for just one closet. Clinging to that thought, David pushed through the coats, hoping to find some kind of other entrance.

The coats brushed David; they were very rough against his face and arms, their bark and twigs-wait, what?

Slowing his headlong dash, David examined the coats around him; except, they weren't exactly coats anymore. They looked like a strange fusion between clothes and trees. Some were evergreens, their needles feeling very real beneath David's fingers. Some were deciduous with broad deep green leaves.

Despite the very natural look the trees had, David had the strangest feeling that they were not of this world. An ethereal feeling permeated this place.

Wandering through the monumentally huge wardrobe, gazing with wonder, and more than a little apprehension, at the strange sights around him, David could not pinpoint the exact moment in which he left the wardrobe and entered the woods proper.

David's mind reeled at the strangeness of it all; it seemed like something straight out of a fairy tale. The woods went on for as far as his eyes could see, with what seemed like a disproportionate amount of small pools or ponds. As he scrutinized the trees, a pattern began to emerge: there was a pool at the base of every enormous tree. Noticing a shape in the bark of a tree near him, David approached it to investigate. It was utterly alien, though its shape suggested rusty nails hammered through sheets of metal. The pool next to him was large and looked polluted; it was a dull gray. A strange swirling in it distracted him; it appeared to be _under_ the surface of the water. It looked almost like…mist?

"I wouldn't lean in quite that close!"

Backpedaling furiously and trying to find the source of the voice, David collided face-first with a rather disagreeable branch that apparently had made it its life's mission to embarrass him as much as possible.

Blinking through the stinging tears of pain, he saw a familiar figure striding toward him.

"That was quite an achievement, Master David," he said with a sarcastic grin on his face. "Never has a man with such innate grace and skill honored me with his presence."

"Who are you?" David asked, his face burning.

"You mean you don't recognize me? I would have thought that I would have made a slightly larger impact than that." The man's shock of white hair and old-fashioned suit seemed familiar.

In a flash, David remembered. "You were at Ben's funeral!" he exclaimed.

"Ah, a light shines in the dark."

"What are you implying?" David asked, annoyed.

"I am implying nothing. I am simply pointing out the irrefutable fact that you are sadly lacking in the quickness of wit your great-grandfather was famous for."

"This coming from a man dressed in clothes a hundred years out of style."

"This coming from a man who spent over twelve hours trying to get out of a _library_ "

"Looks like you never left it, you old relic."

By now the stranger was grinning from ear to ear. "My word, I'd missed this," he said, clapping David on the shoulder. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said, "I am Edmund. Ben said he mentioned me in his letter."

The piece of paper was still clamped in David's hand. "Yes. He did. But he never said who exactly you are".

"Ah. Now that's an interesting question. You see, I am not, strictly speaking, human. I am actually a higher cosmic being with no physical form in this realm. I used to be human, but I gave up my humanity for the greater good; to preserve the work of the Order."

"Your humanity?"

"My body, my life…my death." Edmund's face changed, all traces of levity gone. "I can no longer die. I have lived for nearly a thousand years and I will live for thousands more, an eternity. The years weigh upon my soul, yet I am denied the most precious gift a man can receive."

"What?"

"Death."

Edmund seemed to come to himself, blinking as if waking from a dream. "Terribly sorry about that," he said with a quick grin, "I let the moment get away from me."

You…used to be human? What happened?" David asked.

"Oh, that is quite the story. I served as a brother of the Order many centuries ago. At that time we Storytellers had the born ability to transport ourselves to this place, the Wood Between the Worlds, we called it. There were many of us and we carried out our duties with pride. However, with the years, the ability began to become so rare that, eventually, there were only two left: me and a man whose bloodline would eventually sire you."

"You knew my ancestor?"

"Yes, yes, but don't interrupt. As I was saying, we were the only ones left, we had to do something. We decided the only way to escape the decline of the gift was to remove our dependence upon it. We wanted to create a permanent portal to the Wood.

"It was, however, easier said than done. Years of research and hard work lead us to build a machine that would open a gateway to here. It required much power. We thought we had enough, so we activated it. It worked well, at first. My friend was the first to enter the Wood without the use of the gift. After but a few short minutes, the machine began to run out of power and break down, we had minutes left. My friend swiftly came up with a plan and jumped into the Wood, instructing me to keep the machine running until he returned. Unfortunately, it was deteriorating too fast, so I did the only thing I could think of: I hooked myself up to the machine, hoping that my body's energy would keep it going for a while longer.

"The energy was enough, but barely. My friend managed to return before the portal closed, but by then I had expended all of my energy. I was dead.

"However, through some strange sequence of events, my consciousness, my spirit, if you will, persisted beyond my natural death and ascended to a higher plane of existence. I believe it has something to do with the Wood, but I never could be sure.

"You are probably wondering what I had sacrificed my life for, correct? Well, the answer may seem a little strange, but it was a fruit. You see, when we used to enter the Wood, we would be unable to take anything physical with us, not even clothes. That led to some very awkward situations, let me tell you. However, then, the portal would allow us to take things into the Wood, and, more importantly, bring things back. My friend's genius plan was to bring back a fruit from one of these trees. He did so, and planted it in his yard. A tree grew and prospered for many years. When the tree died, he ordered a wardrobe to be built out of its wood. The wood is not of this world, it seeks to return to its birthplace. Therefore, it creates a path through which anyone can enter the Wood Between the Worlds. This is the portal through which you have entered."

"How did he know that would work?"

"He didn't. He later told me he got the idea from an old story he read."

David's mind was reeling. Magic portals? Alternate universes? Ancient stories coming to life? These things were impossible. They couldn't be real. Yet here was the evidence before him.

"My friend passed on his legacy to his daughter," Edmund continued. "He felt that she was the only one capable of continuing what he did. Thus a tradition emerged; there would be only one Storyteller at a time and at the time of their death, they would designate one of their offspring to replace them."

"And Ben chose me?" David asked weakly.

"Yes, David. You are now the lone Storyteller. It is your duty to protect the Storylands and their inhabitants. Which reminds me…" Edmund pulled something out of his suit pocket, handing it to David. It was a plain silver pendant with a rose carved deeply into its face. "This is your most important tool as a Storyteller. It will inform you when and where you are needed and, as an added bonus, it will grant you the powers you require in each realm."

"What powers? What does that mean?" David asked, still feeling utterly lost.

"It seems you will find out soon," said Edmund, motioning toward the pendant.

The carved rose had vanished. In its place was a glowing intricate symbol. The symbol was comprised of four smaller parts. One of them was obviously a pictogram for fire, but the rest were either just indecipherable swirls or strange, blocky shapes.

"What is this? Is it supposed to be a world?"

"My boy, that symbol represents the world in which you will have your first mission. It's quite an interesting one. Follow me, I will lead you to the correct tree."

"Tree…what?"

"Just come along."

Edmund lead David to a certain tree not far from where they were standing. Following Edmund's pointing finger, David noticed that the tree had the same symbol that was glowing on the pendant carved into the bark. No, not carved. Examining the tree closer, David realized that the symbol had been _grown_ into the tree. It was part of it.

"Touch the pendant to the tree, Storyteller," said Edmund with an odd note of formality in his voice.

His hand trembling with anticipation, David brushed the metal face of the talisman against the symbol on the tree. Both the pendant and the tree glowed brighter as they grew closer. The tree then just _opened_ and revealed its contents.

"A parka?" The primitive coat was a muted blue color with a white fur trim. "What is this supposed to mean?"

"Well, the Wood provides for you. Where you are going, you will obviously be needing that coat. So put it on and stop wasting time."

David pulled on the hot, smelly parka. "Ugh. It smells like something died in here."

"Well, considering that that is probably seal skin you're not far off."

David made a face. "I hope wherever I'm going smells better than this thing. How am I going there, anyway?"

"You must enter the water."

"The water?" David glanced down at the pool. It was cleaner than the one he had seen earlier, but still not crystal clear.

"Before you depart, you must know several things. First, no matter how long you stay in another world, little to no time will pass here in yours." David nodded. Good to know. "Second, keep your pendant with you at all times. It is the source of your power. Without it, you will be vulnerable."

"You never explained what these powers are."

"You will find out in due course, my boy." Edmund smiled. "Good luck."

David stared at the gently rippling waters. "Moment of truth," he muttered to himself. He closed his eyes and jumped in.

* * *

 **A/N: So, what do you think? I know I totally ripped off the Magician's Nephew but that's what fanfiction is for, right? If any of you can guess what world David was gazing into before Edmund found him will not only gain the nonexistent yet prestigious Award of Awesomeness that I invented right now, but will also know the setting of the sequel to this story (if you figure it out please PM it and don't write it in a review as not to spoil everyone else). This is an idea that my friends and I have had for a while. The three of us will be contributing stories to this world, each with his own character and time period. This will be the first of many stories in this world all with exciting action and a needlessly complicated mythos. I hope you will join us on our journey through the stories of mankind.**


	5. Chapter 4

Katara trudged through the snow, stifling a yawn. Why had her father woken her at this spirits-forsaken hour? Couldn't it wait until morning? She got precious little sleep as it was. The workload never seems to lessen. Since the end of the war the Southern Water Tribe had been trying to rebuild itself after they were pushed to the brink of extinction. It wasn't easy.

"I don't understand why this is so important. So the old woman felt something weird. Wooo. Spooky." Ukiuk was his usual haughty self; even more so now because of the late hour.

"Have some respect. That's the tribe elder you're talking about. If she says she felt a disturbance in the spirit world there must be something going on." Despite the fact that she felt much the same way, Katara wan't about to give Ukiuk the pleasure of agreeing with him.

"Whatever. If you ask me she ate something bad and got a little indigestion. Can't say I blame her. The food here isn't top caliber, if you know what I mean."

Katara bit back a sharp retort. Losing her temper wouldn't solve anything.

As the last Southern waterbender Katara was under a lot of pressure. Many of their Northern brothers and sisters had come to help. Some had even moved their entire lives to the south permanently to renew the population. Many of the newcomers from the north were waterbenders as well, steeped in their own culture and traditions. This caused much tension between the two factions. Some Southerners believed that they didn't need the high and mighty North to come save them. They would get along just fine on their own, thank you very much. At the other end of the spectrum, some of the Northerners had not come out of the goodness of their hearts, but because of political motives. Most of these were noblemen in the North who wanted to demonstrate how _kind_ they were and how much they _cared_ for the poor savages living in the South.

Ukiuk was one of those. He was from a minor noble family who wanted to grow in popularity among the aristocracy. Therefore they sent one of their sons, a gifted waterbender, to give aid to the South. Ukiuk made little effort to conceal his disdain for the Southerners. His distaste manifested in many ways, from thinly veiled criticism to outright insults. The chief and elders turned a blind eye to these infractions. Waterbenders were scarce in the South, even now. They needed every one they could find.

Ukiuk was also the cause of Katara's bad mood. Her father, Chief Hakoda, had suggested he go with her to investigate the elder's premonition. Katara would have refused, but the look in her father's eye had discouraged all arguments. At least she had Kimmik to keep her company. The hulking polar bear-dog belonged to the community and was used mostly for hunting and tracking.

"You Southerners and your superstitions. I bet we'll find nothing at all. Have you ever even seen a spirit?"

"Actually, I've seen several."

Ukiuk's patronizing smirk renewed Katara's determination to find whatever it was they were looking for and prove him wrong.

Nose to the ground, Kimmik suddenly gave an excited huff and took off. Katara ran after him, yelling. "Kimmik, heel! Stop! Come here, boy!" The aging polar bear-dog paid no heed to the orders and continued on his way.

"Slow down, you foul creature!" Ukiuk was also having trouble keeping up.

Eventually, Kimmik slid to a halt and began frantically tearing into a large snowdrift. Finally catching up, Katara called him off. She had a better way to move the snow and she didn't want him in way.

Her practiced muscles falling into the familiar stance, Katara extended her arms, feeling the frozen water all around her. With a slight gesture, the mound of snow levitated, moving in concert with Katara's movements. Much work rebuilding the village had kept her in practice after the war's end. Letting her chi flow freely, Katara directed the snow over her head to a point behind her, hoping it would land on Ukiuk. There was something lying in the snow. Spirits, was that a body? Rushing forward, Katara knelt before the figure and felt for a pulse. It was very weak. The young man's skin was unnaturally pale and cold to the touch. He needed immediate medical attention. She decided to use a trick she learned from one of the professional Northern healers. With a swirling motion, she gathered the snow around the young man, liquefying it in the process. Trying to keep the water as warm as she could manage, Katara tapped deeper into her chi, releasing the innate ability of water to heal from within it. The cocoon of water began to glow softly in the darkness, rejuvenating the man's frostbitten skin and keeping his blood flow steady.

Ukiuk came up behind her, covered with snow and frowning petulantly. Katara fought back a smirk. The snowdrift had done its work.

"Very unprofessional of you, I must say. What would your father say if he found out that you're an incompetent that endangers her team members?" Ukiuk said, brushing the snow off his parka. It was an empty threat, and both of them knew it. Hakoda knew very well how efficient his daughter was.

"Oh, please." Katara said, easing the young man off the ground and onto Kimmik's broad back. "The only unprofessional thing around here is your attitude. Accidents happen. Walk it off."

With a dark expression, Ukiuk stormed off. "Have fun walking home alone," he called out behind him. "Peasant" he added, just loud enough for Katara to hear.

Anger rose hot and volatile in Katara's chest. She almost froze him in a block of ice before she got a hold of herself. _Violence will solve nothing. Violence will solve nothing._ She repeated the mantra until Ukiuk was out of sight.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Katara turned her attention to Kimmik and the mysterious man on his back. How had he gotten here? He was wearing a Water Tribe parka, but he didn't look Water Tribe. Did he get lost? Why did the tribe elder feel such a powerful disturbance around him? Questions and theories running through her head, Katara began to head home.

* * *

It was cold. That was the first conscious thought that ran through David's head. The second was that wherever he was, it stank. He tried to open his eyes, but all he could see was a dark blur. As his vision slowly returned to normal, he groaned, rubbing his eyes. He was in some sort of igloo. The walls were made of tightly packed snow and various pieces of primitive hunting memorabilia were scattered around the small room.

He became aware of another person with him. She was asleep, sprawled on an uncomfortable looking chair. She was dressed strangely, yet the bluish parka she wore seemed familiar. It was just like…

Suddenly, the fog cleared from his mind. He was in a story! Up until that point, David had harbored a slight suspicion that he was the target of an elaborate prank. There was no denying it now, however.

The woman coughed in her sleep. Jumping, David realized he was in an awkward situation. He was a complete stranger here. How was he going to explain how he got out in the middle of nowhere? He had no idea where he was. What was this world like? What kind of people were here? This was a story, anything was possible. Was there magic?

David's panicked thoughts were interrupted by a long sigh. She was waking up. What should he say?

The young woman opened her eyes. She smiled, her brown face friendly. "So, you're awake."

David forced himself to smile back, struggling to keep calm. "Where am I?" That seemed like a reasonable question.

"You're in the Southern Water Tribe village," she said. Water Tribe? Well, that would explain the blue clothing. The furnishings, as well as the woman herself, seemed vaguely Inuit. "Where are you from?" she asked, "The Earth Kingdom?"

"Yes," David said, thinking furiously. "I was on my way here, actually. I had heard so much about the Water Tribe, so I decided to go see if the stories were true."

The woman gave a rather unladylike snort of derision. "Unfortunately the stories are rather far off. The war has left us weak and small in number."

"Yes, the war," David said, nodding sagely. "It must have been horrible here."

A shadow crossed her face. "It was. I lost my mother to the Fire Nation."

Fire versus water. How symbolically appropriate.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." The woman made a visible effort to smile. "It's in the past. We must keep moving forward."

People of water, earth and fire. Was there a nation of air as well? He might as well assume so. The symbol his pendant had showed him was beginning to become clear. Four nations, four elements.

"I'm Katara, by the way."

"Nanook." David cringed inwardly at the cliché name. It was the first Inuit name he could think of.

"Nanook? That's a Water Tribe name. I thought you were from the Earth Kingdom."

"Well, my family always said that we had Water Tribe blood. They wanted to keep the old traditions."

"Oh. Well that's nice."

David breathed a sigh of relief. Crisis averted.

"It's time for a healing session," said Katara, heading toward a large tub of water built into the floor. "Can you get up alone?"

"I think so." David slowly sat up in bed. His face reddened as he realized he was wearing nothing but a strange loincloth. "Where are my clothes?"

"Your parka is over by the door. The rest of your clothes were worn to rags when we found you."Katara said. "Don't worry, I'll get you some new ones, but for now, just come over here and lay down in the water."

Hiding his embarrassment, David walked over to the tub. He could see nothing special about it. Maybe this "session" was some sort of ritual. Deciding to indulge his host, David eased himself into the lukewarm water. Katara sat in front of him in the lotus position with her eyes closed, waving her arms in wide, sweeping gestures. So it was a ritual. David wondered how long it would take, he was getting cold.

His eyes wandering around the room, David's eyes rested on the water. It was glowing. With a yelp of alarm, he scrambled halfway out of the tub. Katara's eyes flew open. "What's wrong, Nanook?"

"The…the water! It was…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I should have known. The healing properties of water aren't well known outside the tribes. It's totally fine, it's just an advanced form of bending."

"Bending?"

Katara nodded. "I'm a waterbender."

"Waterbender…right." It appeared there was a form of magic in this story. Curiosity overcoming his alarm, David lowered himself back into the water. "Do you think you could show me some more waterbending afterwards? If it's not too much trouble."

"Of course," she said, resuming her strange arm motions. Her waterbending "I'd be happy to."

The glowing water felt so good. It loosened David's muscles and brought him a feeling of peace and content. He came out feeling rejuvenated and energized. It was much easier for him to walk.

Katara demonstrated her waterbending, lifting up the water from the healing tub without touching it. Her movements were graceful, yet powerful. Flowing, yet strong. David was hypnotized.

Katara laughed at his awestruck expression. "I take it there aren't many benders where you come from," she said, returning the water to its place with a flourish.

Shaking himself out of his trance, David tried to formulate a response. "None, actually."

"None at all?" Katara asked, surprise in her voice. "How do you survive out there?"

"We make do." David hoped she wouldn't probe too deeply about his home. He couldn't afford anyone finding out who he was. He had no idea how they would react. These were powerful people, they could react violently. Especially to someone claiming that their power was fictional.

David tries to steer the conversation toward safer topics. "Anyway, I'm here now. I'll see the sights; maybe I'll help out a bit. You said the war almost destroyed this place."

"Yes, but I don't think you'll be able to help much," Katara said with a rueful smile. "That job is mostly handled by waterbenders."

"I have Water Tribe heritage. Who knows, I might be waterbender." David walked over to the tub with a grin, waving his arms in a mocking approximation of Katara's flowing gestures from before.

Katara laughed at his antics. "Stop it. You're embarrassing yourself," she said with a wide smile.

David was only half joking, however. The strange man, Edmund, had hinted at powers granted to him by the rose-carved pendant; maybe it would grant him waterbending. Unfortunately, it seemed his hypothesis was mistaken. The water didn't move an inch.

Still chortling to herself, Katara escorted David outside. "Come on, Nanook. I'll show you around.

* * *

"…and then it reared up in front of me, its mouth was huge! It was about to swallow me whole! But I wouldn't go down without a fight, no sir. I grabbed my spear and…"

"Oh lay off, you big liar."

Ugalik cut off his story midsentence. "I swear it's true! That tiger seal was enormous. Come to think about it, it might have been a spirit." He began musing to himself. "A spirit, eh? Must have been. There's no way a seal could grow that big." Apparently having convinced himself, he began bouncing up and down excitedly. "Amaruq! I just fought a spirit! And I lived!"

Amaruq rolled her eyes. They were very expressive, Ugalik noticed. He'd noticed many things about her after she arrived from the North.

"What would you know about spirits?" Amaruq said.

"Enough," said Ugalik, a touch of defensiveness coloring his voice.

She wasn't convinced. He needed backup. "What do you think, Nanook?"

"Well, it was pretty big," the newcomer said uncertainly. "Even if it wasn't a spirit it was still really tough to fight." Ugalik flashed a grateful smile at the young man. He could always depend on him to make his stories sound more realistic. Not that Ugalik would ever tell a lie, especially to Amaruq, but extraordinary things happened to him so often that he frequently found it hard to convince anyone that they actually occurred. Like that time he saw Amarok himself stalking the tundra with his pack of wolves, hunting for those foolish enough to go hunting at night. Needless to say, nobody believed him. They were probably just jealous that he was the only one to see him.

"I'll prove it to you. I remember where we lost it. I can take you there and show you its tracks."

"Fine," said Amaruq with a seemingly exasperated sigh, but Ugalik could see the tiny smile in those eyes. She'd come around. They set off together, Ugalik practically dragging Amaruq behind him in his hurry.

David watched the two rush off into the dark, snow-covered wasteland, smiling. It was good to see them getting along so well for many reasons. Not least of which was that there were many barriers separating the Northern and Southern cultures. To have a strong friendship, maybe even more than just a friendship, between members of opposite sides would go a long way to calming the storm.

Ugalik and Amaruq were already too far away to see in the gloom. It was always dark this time of year. The only hint of daylight came at about midday. He had been in this strange place for three days and felt he had gotten to know it quite well.

"Nanook!" a voice called out. It was Katara, half running to catch up with David. "How are you?" she asked, smiling. "Do you feel better?"

"Yes, thanks to your healing skills." David still wasn't used to the strange ability which seemed pervasive in this world. Several other residents of the village had this power. Waterbenders, they were called. Over the last few days David had been doing his best to get Katara to tell him about this world without arousing suspicion. He hadn't been able to get anything useful out of her. Maybe today he would have more luck.

"You know, I was wondering. You seem very skilled at your craft. Who taught you?"

"His name is Master Pakku. He lives in the Northern Tribe."

"Why couldn't you learn from master here? There seem to be enough waterbenders. Are they better in the North?"

Katara's smile faltered. "Every waterbender you see here apart from me is a Northerner. I'm the last Southern waterbender in existence. The Fire Nation captured and killed all the others."

"But even so, why risk yourself by traveling across the world during a war just to go learn?"

"Well, there was another reason to go."

David felt that today, finally, he had struck gold. "Really?"

"I was the one who travelled with Avatar Aang and helped him defeat Firelord Ozai," she said proudly.

David feigned astonishment. "You're _that_ Katara? I assumed you just had the same name."

David was walking a dangerous line. He surmised from the tone of Katara's voice that this Avatar was a prominent figure, but he had no idea who, or even what he was.

"Yup. That's me."

"You've got to tell me all about it! I've only heard stories before now, but you were actually there! You can tell what really happened." David hoped he wasn't laying on too thick.

"All right, calm down." Katara said, laughing. "You sound like Kimmik at feeding time."

David grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. It's not every day I get to meet someone so famous."

"Don't exaggerate, I wasn't that great." She seemed slightly embarrassed.

"So give me some juicy details." David cajoled her. "What happened on the way?"

"Well, after Aang and I trained at the North Pole we had to go to the Earth Kingdom so Aang could learn earthbending…" Earthbending? This was new. Knowing now what he did, David felt he could safely assume that there was a power for each Nation and each element. That would fit in better with the symmetry he had observed so far. "…and so when Toph asked for the belt back, my idiot of a brother completely forgot that she was blind and tossed it to her. It wasn't touching the ground, so she couldn't feel it. It hit her on the head!" Katara chuckled. "Ah, memories"

David made an effort to laugh along with her, although he hadn't heard the whole story. "How good can she be if she's blind?" he asked, picking out a topic from what he had heard.

"Those were the last words of many great warriors from around the world, many of them benders." Katara wore an amused expression. "If you judge an icefield by what you can see, be prepared to feel its bite. She's the most powerful earthbender in the world, something she likes to keep reminding us. The rumors about her are true. She can see through vibrations in the earth, she discovered metalbending when she was eleven and she dueled King Bumi to a standstill."

This time David did not need to pretend to be impressed. Someone with such skill was certainly worthy of admiration.

"I still can't believe that she's running a metalbending academy all by herself." Katara had a faraway look in her eyes. "I remember when she was just a little girl."

A metalbending academy? That might be worth checking out. David filed the information away for future reference.

David and Katara were approaching a group of several young Northerners. David noted with distaste that the oldest of the group was Ukiuk. David had met him a couple days ago. He had had some rather hurtful things about the South. David had ignored him; everyone else did. Apparently the council couldn't send him back without insulting the noble family Ukiuk hailed from, something that the South couldn't afford. Also, he was a waterbender, and they needed all the help they could get. For those reasons he was tolerated, but only barely.

The young nobleman noticed the two drawing close and began talking to his companions in a loud voice, obviously intending for them to hear. "I've heard that these Southerners actually believe in all the spirit stories. I guess somebody forgot to tell them that spirits exist only in old wives tales and children's bedtime stories." His group of sycophants nodded in agreement, a couple of them being so bold as to laugh out loud. He glanced around at the many workers helping with the building, trying to return their village to a livable state. "These primitives aren't just inefficient, they're lazy. Look at those ones! Disgraceful."

David gritted his teeth. These people were his friends. To hear them belittled by this arrogant man with a oversized sense of entitlement was almost too much to take.

"Nanook, just ignore him." Katara placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "I know he deserves it, but it's not worth the risk."

"I've even heard they marry within their own family." Ukiuk continued his stream of abuse. "That might explain why they're so unappealing to look at. Well, at least most of them," he said, looking suggestively in Katara's direction. She didn't react.

Finally, something snapped within David. This had gone on for far too long. He shook off Katara's hand and stormed toward Ukiuk.

"Ah, what's this? Why so upset? Surely an outside eye can see that what I say-"

"How dare you?" David felt as if he was spitting sparks from his mouth.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What right do you have to make such accusations? These people just survived a war! Have some respect. You came here to help, yet all you do is gripe and moan." David gestured at Katara. "She's rebuilding an entire society from the ground up, and all you do is complain."

"You have no idea what you're talking about, stranger" Ukiuk said with a snarl. "You're not even Water Tribe."

"My family is from here!"

"Even worse. You're a half-breed."

"I care about this place. I care enough to defend it from a stuck-up, entitled idiot with delusions of grandeur!" David punctuated his remark with a violent shove.

Ukiuk lost his balance and toppled over backwards. "You…you insolent little fool!" His face darkened. There was fire in his eyes. "How dare you insult a scion of the North!" He scrambled to his feet and made a sharp gesture. A large sphere of water rose at his command and hurtled towards David.

Ducking beneath the missile, David closed the distance between them in order to reduce the effectiveness of Ukiuk's power. He threw his weight into a blow to the waterbender's face. Ukiuk fended him off with frightening ease. It seemed he was an accomplished hand-to-hand fighter as well as a waterbender. He had about as much chance to beat him as an otter-penguin had to fly. After trading several blows, Ukiuk knocked him down to ground. David lay there, stunned.

"I'll teach you to insult me, you filthy half-breed!" The fire in Ukiuk's eyes blazed. There was murder in those eyes. He gathered an enormous globe of water around David's whole body, lifting him up off the ground, smothering him. He began to panic, his vision fading. He could vaguely see Ukiuk's distorted face through the water. The waterbender had a sneer on his face, mocking him even as he suffocated.

In one moment, David's fear was eclipsed by rage. This bully thought he could abuse his power and hurt David's friends. It wasn't fair. He had to do something.

Something surfaced in the sea of anger. A voice. It whispered to him, the sound of it simultaneously deep and dark as the ocean's depths and cold and clear as water falling over stones. Not realizing what he was doing, David _reached_ out around him, feeling the water, sensing it in his mind. Power flowed from his hands into the water. He gathered himself and _pushed_ outward.

The water flew outward in an explosive wave, gathering around Ukiuk and sealing him in a clear block of ice.

The crowd around them stood, dumbfounded. Vaguely, David could hear them break out into an excited babble with Katara's voice rising above the rest. He couldn't hear what they were saying. Was it important? He didn't think so. Did the world really have to spin around like that? It was making him dizzy. It was really inconsiderate of…

Blackness.

* * *

Groaning, David opened his eyes.

"Well, here we are again." Katara's voice was cold.

Looking around, David saw he was in the same igloo he woke up in when the tribe found him.

"What happened?" David's head was pounding. It felt like a porcupine had taken up residence in his skull.

"I was hoping you could tell me." Katara sounded upset. "Why didn't you tell me you were a waterbender? If you have Southern Water Tribe blood, then that means that you are technically a Southern waterbender; it means that I'm not the last one. You know how much that means to me."

Slowly it all came back to him. "I didn't know, I swear. I never was any sort of bender," he said honestly.

Examining him closely, Katara's expression relaxed and a huge smile burst on to her face. "I'm not the last one!" she exclaimed. "You're part of the Tribe now. Welcome, brother."

Relieved, David smiled alongside her. He was truly happy that he had been accepted by the Tribe, they were almost like family now. He thought back to the exhilarating moment when he had bent water. He wanted to know more about it.

"Will you teach me more about our heritage and power, sister?" he asked in the same formal tone Katara had used a moment ago.

"Gladly, brother."

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Now that we're in the Avatar world proper I should probably start giving disclaimers. So, here goes.**

 **Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender and its characters belong to Nickelodeon.**

 **How was that? Be sure to comment on my incredible disclaimer writing skills in the review section. Oh, also reviews about the story itself will also be appreciated.**

 **This story will be part of a much larger arc that I am writing with friends. It's going to be awesome!**

 **See you guys later!**


	6. Chapter 5

"All right, that's enough for today."

David instantly collapsed, his muscles burning. Muscles he didn't even know existed were screaming in pain.

"You know, I think your backbend is getting a lot better," Katara said with a smile in her voice. David groaned in response. Over the last few days he had wondered whether Katara had invented some of these exercises out of pure spite.

"We'll start again tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Sifu." Katara insisted that the relationship between student and master should be formal, hence the title.

David had been training for almost a week and felt as if he was getting nowhere. Katara hadn't touched on the subject of waterbending at all, except to instruct him to severely limit his use of it until he had received formal instruction from her. Until then, Katara imposed a strict regimen of what she called "conditioning"; preparing his body and mind for the physical and mental stresses he would encounter throughout his training. He chafed at the restrictions, but understood the reasoning behind them, however grudgingly. Untrained, he could inadvertently cause great harm to someone. Like Ukiuk. After his humiliation at David's hands, the young man left for his home in the North, to everyone's relief. After being involved in a fight he probably wouldn't be allowed to come back. Of course, David wouldn't be able to walk away unpunished. Even though he had done what many would have classified as a public service by removing a malicious individual from the village, the South had to keep up appearances. So the chief decided that David would have to assist in the rebuilding of the village, nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Also, the chief told David privately that he regretted the need for such measures and that he appreciated the services rendered.

David made his way over to the construction site where he was to spend the rest of the day.

"Hey, Nanook!" Ugalik waved energetically. Amaruq was characteristically stoic.

David approached them slowly, trying to conserve his energy.

"Nanook, guess what I saw yesterday! It was a miniature snow spirit. It talked to me; it told me that-"

"Are you all right?" Amaruq interrupted Ugalik's chatter, eying David discerningly. "You look tired."

"More like exhausted. I can barely walk. Sifu Katara is very…thorough."

"Don't worry. It'll only get easier from here," said Ugalik sympathetically.

"He's right," said Amaruq. "I'm also a waterbender. I went through most of the same training. The beginning is always the hardest."

"I don't know what I'm doing." David sighed, his tone defeated. "I didn't even know I was a bender until last week, and now I'm ready to drop from training. I'm not even sure it's worth going through all this. Maybe I should just quit."

Amaruq grabbed his arm, she wore an intense expression. "You can't give up, Nanook."

"Why? What does all this give me? Nothing I'm doing is helping anyone! If anything, I'm taking time away from the most talented waterbender in the South!" David was almost yelling at this point. All the frustration accumulated over the last week was boiling over. Several workers glanced over at the commotion, but were reassured by Ugalik that everything was fine. "I'm not worth training, I'm nothing but a distraction."

"This isn't about you, Nanook! Stop thinking about yourself and look at the big picture. Think about how Katara feels. All her life she thought she was the only waterbender of her kind left. She learned to live with that. Now you come into her life and she has hope again; hope she hasn't felt her entire life. The whole South now has hope because of you. You are a symbol to them, a symbol of their culture reborn. Katara depends on you, she trusts you." Amaruq gave David a look that seemed to pierce his soul. "Don't you dare let her down."

David stood with his mouth hanging open slightly, shocked at the normally quiet girl's outburst.

"She's right, you know," Ugalik said. His assertion seemed rather weak compared to the preceding tirade.

She _was_ right. David had been thinking selfishly. He meant a great deal to the South in general and to Katara in particular. The Southerners were his friends; more than that, they were family. He couldn't give up on them. David was getting an inkling of what Ben had been trying to tell him in his letter; of what it meant to be a Storyteller. He felt a warm sense of purpose kindle within him. He would see this through. For the sake of his family.

His determination must have shown on his face because Amaruq relaxed and smiled at him.

"Thank you," David said gratefully. "I needed that."

"Enough dawdling. Are you going to help us lift this beam or what?"

* * *

Settling into stance, David exhaled gently, clearing his mind. _Focus. Note your surroundings. Arms loose. Ready to move._ Hundreds of Katara's lessons raced through his unconscious mind, subtly altering his position. There was a slight irregularity in the ice to his left. He would have to avoid that; or maybe he could use it against his opponent.

"Are you ready?" Katara's voice drifted across the plain from where she stood several feet away.

David nodded, already launching into an attack; he had found that an aggressive approach early in the fight could catch her off guard. This wasn't the case today. Katara easily vaulted over his wild strike, launching a counterattack.

In all the years David spent training, he had never managed to defeat Katara in a fair duel. All of his victories thus far were attributed to dirty tricks on his part or bad luck on Katara's.

 _Legs bent. Constant motion._ Most of his self-correction was unconscious by now, just like Katara said it would eventually be. It had taken years to get to that point.

Redirecting a blade of ice back at Katara, David instantly followed it up with a trick Amaruq had taught him. Noting where Katara was stepping, David caused a small fissure to form in the ice beneath her foot. Only Katara's battle-hardened reflexes saved her from tumbling to the ground.

A flurry of attacks left David off-balance. Katara was gaining the upper hand. David noticed a small hole in the ice where he was about to step. She was using his own tricks against him. He had to end this quickly.

David backpedaled, giving the impression that he was recovering from Katara's attacks. In reality, he was concentrating intensely, raising a small globe of water behind his back, making sure he was blocking Katara's line of sight to it. Bending without the proper movements and visual connection was fiendishly tricky. He had tried it out once out of curiosity, and had practiced it because of the challenge it presented. It seemed like it would serve him well in this fight.

He couldn't let her see the floating orb behind him; he needed the element of surprise.

Keeping the ball of water floating around the small of his back, David went on the offensive again. He held nothing back, pummeling Katara from every direction. With every blow he took a step closer. Katara generally tried to stop him from engaging physically; she knew it was his strong point. He hoped that the barrage of water and ice would keep her occupied long enough for him to get within physical striking range.

Finally managing to get close enough, David forced the fight into hand to hand combat. Katara was visibly falling back before his onslaught, but it wasn't enough. Katara would be able to hold her own long enough until she could find a way to steer the duel back into long range.

David didn't intend to give her the opportunity.

He stumbled. Or, at least, he seemed to. Katara jumped on the opening in a flash, swinging at his momentarily exposed side. David took the blow, grunting at the pain. At the same time the small orb swung around into his hand, adhering to it and solidifying into a bladed gauntlet which David jabbed toward Katara's unguarded throat.

The two waterbenders froze, panting, their breath misting in the frigid air and mingling together before rising to the heavens. The piercingly cold, razor sharp tip of the blade rested lightly in the hollow of Katara's throat.

"I yield." Katara broke the silence, backing away from David. "Very good," she said, still trying to catch her breath. "Very good."

Letting his improvised weapon melt and dissolve into the icy ground, David doubled up, heaving huge breaths. He hadn't pushed himself this hard for a long time.

"How did you know I wouldn't see through your feint?" Katara asked, recovering.

"I know you, Sifu," David said, trying to keep a self-satisfied grin from spreading onto his face. "Melee combat is my specialty. I had the upper hand. If I provided you with an opening, I knew you would jump on it without a second thought.

"That still was a risky ploy, though," Katara said. "I could have seen the water orb behind you."

"But you didn't, Sifu," David said cheekily, the smile breaking out onto his face. "I've been practicing moves like that for a long time." David's smile lessened. "Of course, I'll have to think of new tricks for next time."

"No."

"What?" What do you mean 'no'?"

"I'm convinced. I've been considering for a while and I've come to the conclusion that you have learned all you can from me."

"You mean…"

"You're not a master yet, if that's what you're wondering. You have a long way to go, but I've laid the groundwork for you. It's up to you now."

David stood stock still, his mouth hanging slightly open. He wrestled with the concept for a while, still trying to grasp it.

His expression must have been quite something because Katara burst out laughing. "Go on! You can celebrate. You've earned it." Her smile became warm. "You've made me proud."

Overcoming his astonishment, David brought his hands together in a respectful gesture. "Sifu Katara," he said, bowing formally. Katara mirrored his gesture. "What will you do now?"

David wasn't prepared for the question. He scrambled to find a believable answer. "I…guess I'll go home," he said, the lies flowing from his tongue with sickening ease. "My family will be glad to see me after years of only letters." There were, of course, no letters. He let Katara think that there were in order to stave off suspicion.

He hated it.

The answer seemed to satisfy her, however. "When will you leave?"

"Early tomorrow morning. No sense in putting it off."

"I'll miss you, Nanook. Spirits guide you"

"Likewise."

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything you need?" Ugalik asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, Ugalik," said David, slightly exasperated. "I have more than enough supplies."

Getting married and becoming a father had done little to dampen Ugalik's seemingly boundless enthusiasm. It had come to a surprise to no one when he and Amaruq had announced their engagement. There had been clear signs from the beginning. David remembered the ceremony well. Amaruq's parents had come down from the North to give their blessing to the union.

The young couple had been David's surrogate family during his stay. He slept in their igloo, ate their food and always had a willing ear to listen to his problems. In return he did a fair amount of chores around the household. One of the happiest days in their family was the birth of little Ila. She was already two years old. She had always referred to David as "Big Brother Nanook" when she spoke of him. David had felt a warm glow in his stomach and had to wipe away a tear when she had said it for the first time.

Many good memories were made here. They made David reluctant to go, but he had to continue his journey through this strange land and puzzle out why he was here and what his role was in this story.

He turned to wave to Amaruq. She was bearing Ila on her hip and a rare smile on her lips. She waved back, prompting Ila to imitate her.

Swallowing past a lump in his throat, David turned his back on the South Pole.

Not wanting to prolong the bittersweet parting, he hurried toward the newly reconstructed dock to join the daily ferry to the Earth Kingdom mainland.

He was very curious about this metalbending academy he had heard so much about.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this up. From now on the tentative schedule is one chapter every Friday. I hope I'll be able to keep up with that. Have a happy new year!**

 **Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon.**

 **P.S. reviews are welcome. I don't bite hard.**


	7. Chapter 6

The glade was a perfect place to make camp. It was large and clear with a small brook running through it. Plenty of dead wood for a fire and trees to sit under should it rain.

David began setting up the cook fire and spreading his bedroll with practiced movements. He had been on the road for several days.

It was getting dark. David gathered several dead branches and some twigs to use as kindling. After a few minutes with his flint and steel he had merrily crackling bonfire.

Now for the hard part. He had tried it every time he stopped for the night. He wasn't always successful, but it was worth a try. David took a deep breath, steadying himself. He began searching for the unfamiliar well of power within him. It was like waterbending but… not. It was harder, more solid. Feeling the ground beneath him, David channeled what Katara called his chi into it, pulling it toward him. Accompanied by a loud grunt of effort, a small, round plateau of stone emerged from the forest floor. Sighing and relaxing his muscles, David sank down onto it. Despite many days of practice, earthbending didn't seem to come to him as easily as waterbending had.

Ready to try again, David rose to his feet and fell into a basic earthbending stance he had learned from a traveling instructor at a steep price. Too steep in David's opinion, but it was the only way he could learn anything about this new style of fighting.

David practiced for over an hour, getting used to the grounded stance and the sensation of manipulating the earth around him.

When the fire had died down into a bed of red hot coals David stopped practicing and began tending to his dinner. Wiping the sweat from his brow, David extracted a stream of water from the brook and directed it into his small cooking pot. After the water was boiled, vegetables and arctic hare meat were thrown in. Soon enough, the heady smell of rich stew filled the clearing. Filling a bowl, David began eating with gusto. The practice had taken a toll on him.

"How rude of you. Eating before your guest." A sharp voice called out from the edge of the glade.

David's dinner almost spilled onto his lap as he whipped his head up. A stately young woman strode towards him, head held high, an imperious glint in her eyes. She was obviously accustomed to getting what she wanted. And fast.

One of the first things David had learned in the Earth Kingdom was that the noble class tended to be pushy even in the best of cases. It was best to give them what they wanted before they called out to a passing officer of the law and demanded they beat you for "insubordination" or "insolence".

It was best to play along. "My apologies, ma'am. I was unaware you wished to join me."

What immediately struck David after a second glance was that, while her bearing was aristocratic, her clothes were decidedly less so. Worn and rough, they looked as if they had seen vigorous use lately. Despite their state, however, she still cut a striking figure.

"Your apology is accepted," she said with a gracious nod, her raven hair briefly obscuring her face. "You may make it up to me by serving my meal."

She didn't seem to be much trouble. "Gladly, ma'am."

She watched him fill another bowl with an amused twinkle in her eye. David couldn't fathom what she found so funny.

"Are you always this gullible?" David froze. The timbre of her voice had shifted. The aristocratic accent was gone and she no longer sat as if she was at a formal dinner party. She wasn't even sitting, really. She lounged. No self-respecting noblewoman would be caught dead in that position.

David's thunderstruck expression caused the girl to burst out into peals of bell-like laughter. She was a lot younger than he had originally assumed. Probably around his age.

"Well, since you already have a full bowl you might as well give it to me," the imposter noblewoman said, wiping tears of merriment from her eyes.

Unable to think of an appropriate response, David acquiesced to her demand. "Do you do this often?" David asked, handing the bowl over. "Put on a big act and fleece travelers of their supper?"

"Oh, don't be like that," she said, grinning. "It was just a little fun. Besides, I never take from anyone who can't afford it. Think of this as a compliment."

"Some compliment."

"It's the most you're likely to get from me," she said, chuckling.

Despite his initial irritation, David found her laughter infectious. He began to grin along with her.

"I believe this is the point at which we introduce ourselves," said the young woman. "I'm Mei Kun"

David had learned from his past mistakes and had carefully chosen an alias before arriving at the Earth Kingdom. "Ping."

"Charmed, I'm sure," said Mei Kun, once again imitating the stuffy noble accent.

David had to laugh. He assumed she had had her fair share of unfortunate encounters with the Earth Kingdom nobility. The accent was spot-on.

"So, I see you're an earthbender," said Mei Kun through a mouthful of stew, eying his earthen stool.

"Just a beginner. I only discovered I was a bender recently. I'm trying to find someone to teach me."

"You only found out now?" Mei Kun asked, frowning. "I'm no bender, but I'm pretty sure the signs show up pretty early."

"Really? How early?" David realized belatedly that this question would seem strange coming from an Earth Kingdom native. "I mean…I just…haven't known any benders," he stammered out. "My village doesn't have any of them."

Mei Kun's eyes narrowed slightly. Were benders really so pervasive that a village without any of them would seem strange? David waited for her reaction, tense as a bowstring.

Mei Kun laughed.

Her reaction was so unexpected that David joined in, laughing nervously. She laughed a lot, David noticed. She had a nice laugh.

"Good one! You almost had me convinced there."

"Yeah," said David, fidgeting nervously. "I bet I could give up being a bender and take acting classes."

"You have to work on your delivery though. You sounded too sincere. That's always a sure way to tell if someone's lying."

By then, they had both finished their meals. David set his bowl down and yawned, stretching his arms. He began to head towards his bedroll.

"Would you mind terribly if I camped here for the night?" Mei Kun asked. "There is safety in numbers, after all."

"I would, probably, but I'll try to contain my disappointment."

Smiling, she gathered up an assortment of leaves to sleep on.

Seized by a sudden sense of gallantry, David offered Mei Kun his blanket to sleep on. She hesitated, taken aback, but accepted it with a nod of thanks.

"So, who were you planning on going to train under, Ping?"

"Toph Beifong."

There was a moment of silence. "Wow. You don't aim low do you?"

"You have to reach for the stars. That way even if you fail, you can reach the moon."

"I suppose there's some truth to that."

They lapsed into silence again.

"Where are you from?" asked Mei Kun softly, a touch of wistfulness coloring her voice.

"A small village to south." David lied quickly. "It doesn't even have a name. What about you?"

"Oh, here and there." Mei Kun's voice cracked slightly. "Haven't really lived in one place long enough recently to call it home."

"Do you travel alone? Or do you have your family with you?"

There was no answer. Mei Kun's breathing was deep and slow. She must have fallen asleep in the middle of their conversation.

David felt strangely disappointed. He had enjoyed talking to her.

If the maps David had were accurate, the city of Yu Dao, where the Academy was located, couldn't be more than a few days away. He wondered if Mei Kun would come with him. She seemed nice enough. Maybe she could provide some respite from the monotony of the open road.

With that encouraging thought in mind, David closed his eyes and surrendered himself to sleep's open arms.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry about the delay. My friends and I are working on the next project in the saga. It will be coming out very soon. If you want to be notified when we upload it you can follow the profile.**

 **Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon.**


	8. Chapter 7

As they rounded the low, forested hill they looked on and breathed a sigh of relief. A sprawling city was revealed in the distance.

"Yu Dao," said David with a sigh. "Finally, we made it."

"Despite your sub-par navigation skills."

"Hey! So I got us lost _one_ time," said David, exasperated. He was beginning to think he'd never hear the end of it.

Looking over at Mei Kun he saw her eyes twinkling mischievously. They were a very interesting shade of green. A sort of mix of brown and green, actually. What was that called? Hazel? And the patterns in her iris were very…

David shook himself out of his reverie. What was he doing?

Trying to disguise his lapse, he cleared his throat and looked down at the map. "It's getting late. According to this map, we won't be able to reach Yu Dao before nightfall. I suggest we find a place to make camp.

"Yes sir, navigator extraordinaire!" Mei Kun said giving David a mock salute.

She was always ready with a quip of some kind. Not that David was complaining. It kept the mood light.

David set off after her, inordinately glad that she had chosen to accompany him.

* * *

David and Mei Kun had worked out a list of duties for each other for setting up camp: David would search for wood and kindling and tend to the fire, along with preparing dinner while Mei Kun would gather water and generally clean up the campsite. They had tried to take turns cooking, but Mei Kun had quickly proven that her culinary skills left a lot to be desired.

As they spent more time together, chatting over their meals and on the road, there was one topic they mutually avoided mentioning: their pasts. Besides some vague idea about where the other came from, the two remained ignorant to each other's actual background.

"So, what fascinating topic should we discuss on this fine evening?" Mei Kun's voice, like always, held a gentle tone of mockery.

"Now that you mention it, I was thinking about something."

"What would that be?"

"It's kind of a personal question."

"Oh… juicy!" she said, leaning forward. "Now I'm curious."

David began hesitantly. "What… what would you do if there was some… hypothetical person that you cared about." He stopped for a moment and licked his lips nervously. "And you had to… withhold certain information about yourself for their own safety?"

Mei Kun's smile faded somewhat. "Lying to them?"

"Well, no, not exactly lying… sort of lying, but… argh! I'm no good at this!"

For once, Mei Kun's face was entirely serious. "I think I know what you mean, actually."

"Really?" David's heartrate spiked. Did she know what he was talking about?

"Yes. I may have been in your position recently, or, at least, something like it."

"Oh." David forced himself to calm down. She didn't know anything. "What did you do about it?"

She shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. "I didn't really do anything," she said, avoiding his gaze. "I just let it slide, I guess."

Silence grew between them like ice spreading across the surface of a pond.

They finished their dinner and, after a few half-hearted attempts at conversation, they went to bed.

In the dead of night, when the world is the quietest and the cold earth begins to yearn for the sun's warm glow, the silence was shattered by a low, repetitive sound.

David cracked an eye open, wondering for a moment what woke him up. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. It could be anything. He was a light sleeper. When he cast his eye around the camp, however, his fears were confirmed. Mei Kun was crying again.

Her stifled sobs were quiet, but the night was quieter still. They carried over to David with ease.

This wasn't the first time it had happened; David woke up every few days to the heartbreaking sound. She cried like only someone who thinks they are alone can. David never got up, never tried to help. If she knew that he could hear her it would be embarrassing to both of them. She wouldn't appreciate him prying into her business. If she wanted to talk to him about it, she would… right?

These rationalizations did nothing to ease the knob in his throat, though.

He hoped with all his being that this night, finally, Mei Kun would get up and talk to him. Listening silently to such raw torment was almost more than he could take.

Eventually, though, she seemed to get her hitching sobs under control and fell silent.

The night's shattered quiet began to slowly reassemble itself, but it was different. Another silence joined the first, hard and sharp. Faint echoes of the unbridled sadness felt moments ago seemed to temper it, forming a silence that was almost more cutting than the sobs had been.

It tore at David's soul to listen to it.

* * *

The next morning Mei Kun was the first one up. As always she gave no indication of her condition the night before.

"Wake up, sleepy head! I know you're an earthbender, but you don't have to show me what rocks look like. I'm pretty sure I already know."

David rolled over, groaning. "How is it you always manage to get up at this spirits-forsaken hour every single day?"

"Well, every time I do I get to annoy you and hear you gripe and moan all morning, so that's one reason."

David forced himself upright and tottered towards the small brook near the camp to get a drink.

"I think we're almost there," Mei Kun called after him. "I can already hear the city.

"How can you _hear_ a city?"

"You know, shouting, yelling, general mayhem."

David listened closely and, sure enough, he thought he could hear a busy, bustling sound in the distance. "You have good ears."

"One of my many fine attributes," she said, smiling. However, it was slightly strained, lacking its characteristic spark.

"Is everything all right?" David asked.

"Um…well," Mei Kun began uncertainly. "I was just wondering what you planned to do about this…arrangement now that we're finally here."

"You mean the two of us?"

She nodded.

"Well, if- and only if- you want to…I think it shouldn't be too much of a problem to stick around for a while."

Mei Kun broke out into a wide smile. "I think that sounds great."

David returned the smile, relieved. It seemed that he was quite a bit happier than he felt he should be at the moment.

They set off toward the distant sounds of the city waking up.

The marketplace was loud, labyrinthine and confusing.

"Papaya! Squash! Fresh produce for great prices!"

"Cloth! Linens! Some lace for the wife, sir?

"Spices!"

The hubbub around the two travelers was almost unbearable. David's ear's felt like they were about to burst. To add insult to injury, they were now hopelessly lost.

"I told you we should have taken that left turn."

"No, I told you, it would have taken us back to where we started."

"Well, at least then we'd know where we were."

Mei Kun seemed more prickly than usual. Maybe it was the noise. Or the smell. Yes, probably the smell. To David's nose, accustomed as it was to the clean scent of the outdoors, the eye-watering odors of rotting fruit, unwashed bodies and livestock were overwhelming.

"Don't worry, we'll find it."

"How about we just ask someone?" Mei Kun walked up to an elderly fruit vendor on the side of the street. "Excuse me, sir?"

"What can I get for the fair miss?" he asked, his voice whistling through a gap in his teeth.

"Would you happen to know where the Metalbending Academy would be?" said Mei Kun, picking up and examining a large orange.

"Well, well. The academy, you say, hmm." The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I'm almost certain I know where it is. I'm sure I could remember if you give me a minute. Maybe look around at some more of this fine fruit while you're waiting. Highest quality in Yu Dao."

Not missing the implication in his voice, Mei Kun fished out a couple coins from her travelsack. "These are quite fresh. I'll take some of these pears, they look nice."

"A fine taste you have, miss. A fine taste indeed." His face brightened suddenly. "Aha! I've remembered the whereabouts of the academy. It is right outside the city to the north. You go down that road until you get to a crossroads, then you-"

"They're a bunch of thieves!" A young man with jet-black hair and proud features strode toward them. "Uncle, why are you sending people to them? Those criminals don't belong anywhere near our city! If we stop giving them support maybe they'll go away."

"Hong!" The old man's voice grew sharp. "Have some respect, boy. I doesn't matter what you think in the privacy of your own home, but don't go about spreading lies about respectable Earth Kingdom citizens!"

"You know it's true, uncle," Hong said, slamming his fist into his palm to emphasize his point. "Those miscreants stole from innocent colonists! We can't let them get away with it."

"Hong! What did I just say?"

The young man trudged away, grumbling under his breath.

"I apologize for that." He gave a smile that he obviously meant to be disarming, but the effect was ruined slightly by the gap in his teeth. "Hong seems to pick up gossip like a pig-chicken picks up worms."

"What gossip?" David asked, joining the conversation for the first time.

"Oh, I wouldn't bother myself with it, young sir. I don't believe it for a second."

"I insist. What do they say about the academy here? I'm going to join them and I would like to know what I'm getting myself into."

"Well," the vendor said reluctantly. "There is a small, but vocal, minority in the city that claim that the academy and the land it stands on were stolen by Sifu Toph Beifong from a small local firebending school." He gave a quick bark of laughter. "I've never heard anything more ridiculous in my life! The Beifong family is an old lineage and well respected. You can rest assured that the rumors you hear about that school are nothing more than hot-headed youngsters stirring up trouble for trouble's sake."

"Of course," said David. He had heard all about Toph from Katara, his former master. She might have been a bit reckless and impetuous, but she would never rob someone, would she?

* * *

Two hours later the two companions, weary from their long travel, approached the low building on the hillside.

Toph Beifong's dojo.

They wandered around, looking for someone in charge. Eventually, a student directed them towards a small offshoot of the main building. Entering, they found a heavy-set woman with red cheeks and a warm smile.

"Yes, how can I help you, dears?"

"Hello," David began uncertainly. "My name is Ping and I am hoping to gain entry to this prestigious-"

"Oh, newcomers!" the woman said, smiling. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"I…just did-"

"Welcome, welcome." She cut him off. "The two of you can find yourselves rooms in the dormitories at the other side of the complex. Your examination will begin tomorrow at dawn."

David cleared his throat. "Examination?"

"Of course, dear. Your entrance examination. We don't let just anybody come learn here, that would be silly!" She laughed at her joke.

"Speaking of which," Mei Kun interjected. "I'm not here to learn, I'm just…traveling with him."

"Oh." The woman was taken aback for a moment. "Well we have lodging for families of the students under construction at the moment. Apparently it's becoming quite popular for relatives to live near the training grounds. Until they are completed, I suppose you could stay in one of the temporary huts."

"Why can't I just stay with the students?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but Sifu Toph is quite adamant on the subject. Students and- ahem- commoners must be kept separate." Here she lowered her gaze slightly, avoiding their eyes.

"Oh."

"Well, Ping, you know where you ought to be. Get to it!" The woman's voice gained back much of her previous enthusiasm. "You should get a lot of rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

* * *

 **A/N- So...um... I owe you guys a bit of an apology. It's been a while since I updated and I'm sorry about that. I think that we bit off a bit more than we could chew with the weekly schedule. From now on, we'll just upload when we can and hope for the best.**

 **If you guys aren't following our profile then you should know that my friend Beast has begun to post his story in this world. It's set several decades after David's time with a new main character. We just uploaded a new chapter of his, you should check it out! Also, since he gets a cool pen name, it's only fair that I get one too. I'm going to go with "Here Be Dragonsteel". If any of you get that reference, then consider yourself my friend instantly.**

 **I'd also really like to have some feedback from you guys. What do you think? Is this the greatest thing ever? Is it a giant, steaming pile of unmentionable matter? Somewhere in the middle? Reviews will really help me improve my writing and generally also give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. They might also encourage me to update more often!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **~Here Be Dragonsteel**

 **Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon**


	9. Chapter 8

_Bong! Bong!_

The deep bass sound echoed through the dojo, forcing David toward wakefulness.

He was still in the tiny room he had fallen asleep in last night. It was austere, lacking furniture apart from a straw mat and desk meant to be used while on both knees.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he straightened and heard several sharp cracks. The straw mat and hard floor hadn't been kind to his spine.

On the desk, folded neatly, was a uniform of sorts. A dark green shirt with short, wide sleeves to allow movement and flexibility, a beige vest with a flying boar symbol on the breast worked with gold-colored thread and a pair of dark pants.

Getting dressed briskly, David began to wonder what kind of trials awaited him. The woman from last night had hinted that entry to the Academy was not granted to very many. He wasn't all that good with earthbending. He'd been practicing compulsively throughout his journey and, though his abilities were progressing far faster than his waterbending had, he was not at all confident with them.

A young girl wearing a similar uniform to his entered the room without knocking. "Sifu Toph is waiting for you. Follow me." Throughout her proclamation, her expression remained exactly the same as if it were carved in stone. She turned on her heel and left the room, leaving David to scramble out after her.

The rest of the dojo matched his room; only the bare essentials of furniture were present. The bare wooden halls were spotless.

David and his stone-faced guide arrived at a courtyard within the complex. A modest gathering of students sat on the ground in a semi-circle. A small group of individuals sat at the open end. A surge of adrenaline wiped away David's sleepiness. He had an audience? What if he failed? What if something went wrong? Everyone would see! No. He wouldn't fail. He couldn't. He ignored the students and chose to focus on the four figures at the head of the courtyard.

One of them was obviously Toph. David recognized her from descriptions he had heard from Katara during his training. She sat with a straight-backed posture, still as a boulder. Her clothes, strangely, looked threadbare; worn from many years of hard use. Of course, the master's most distinctive feature was her blank, sightless eyes beneath her black bangs. The milky green orbs wandered seemingly randomly around the courtyard.

The other three weren't so easily identified. A large, swarthy man sat to her right while a wiry, dark-haired man and a diminutive girl with mousy hair who couldn't have been older than David were on her left.

Stone-face made a deep bow in Toph's direction and joined the semi-circle. It seemed pointless to David. Why bow to someone who couldn't see it? Despite this, Toph seemed to acknowledge the bow with a nod. Strange.

Disconcertingly, the master's blank eyes snapped up and looked straight at David. Her gaze was so intent, David felt as if they were burning a hole through his face.

"Ping of the Earth Kingdom," she proclaimed in a clear voice. "You have traveled far to this school to study under these masters and learn the arts of the metal." Her speech had the ring of a ritual. _She must do this every time a new student arrives_ , David thought. He nodded, still uncertain whether she could see him. She couldn't, could she? She was blind.

"To gain entry must complete three challenges over the course of three days. These challenges will test you in many ways and determine whether you are worthy to train here." Here she gestured to her left. "Your first challenge will be to face off against Master Penga. She will evaluate your earthbending skills."

The mousy-haired woman stood and approached David.

He struggled to slow his pounding heart. He had never faced off against another earthbender, let alone one skilled enough to be allowed to sit next to the greatest earthbender in the world. He didn't stand a chance. His near-panic must have shown on his face, for the woman, Master Penga, gave him a barely perceptible half-smile. It was reassuring, but only slightly.

As was customary, the two turned and bowed to the resident master, Toph, paying their respect to her before to each other.

Pleasantries observed, master and student fell into stance, raising their arms into defensive positions. It occurred to David that this was very similar to the beginnings of his sparring sessions with Katara. Those had always been his specialty. With that thought, a profound calm swept over him. This was just another duel. Old lessons drilled into him returned. Mind your surroundings, analyze your opponent, search for openings.

Penga was taking advantage of her small frame and crouching in a low stance, making it hard for larger opponents to reach her and easier for her to reach areas that were harder to defend. David adjusted accordingly, lowering his stance as much as was feasible.

"Begin." Toph's voice carried through the courtyard.

Penga didn't react. She remained in place, watching, waiting for an opportunity.

Well, two could play at that game. David stood stock-still, watching intently.

There! A slight movement of the elbow!

With the twitch of an arm, a slender spire of rock jabbed at the opening.

Moving quicker than thought, Penga snapped the spire in two, sending a piece of it rocketing toward David's face with a spinning kick.

They exchanged blows for several minutes. David began to feel a sense of futility. It was painfully obvious within the first few seconds that he was outmatched. He counted at least a dozen opportunities the small woman could have taken to end the fight there and then, but didn't. Why was she toying with him? Distracted as he was, the answer came to him only after she swept the ground from underneath his feet and sent him crashing to the floor, only to wait politely for him to rise and resume the fight. She was testing him. She was evaluating his skill in earthbending and battle in general. She wanted to see what he was made of.

Emboldened by this knowledge, David began to improvise. Recklessly combining and altering forms to gain some sort of advantage. Nothing seemed to be working.

After a moment of inspiration, however, he introduced a different style into his fighting. One that began to shake even master Penga. The one advantage he had that she didn't. Waterbending.

Fusing the two fighting styles together yielded mixed results. Sometimes the strike would flub completely. However, now and then, he struck gold. Figuratively speaking. A rigid palm at the end of a flowing arm. The redirection of an earth strike back towards Penga with a fluid gesture. The little advantages began to add up, bit by bit. Penga was uncertain. Faltering.

Experimenting madly, David was now on the offensive. Penga was choosing to literally stonewall his attacks rather than risk countering.

Smelling victory, David pushed his advantage. He advanced, pushing Penga toward the edge of the dueling ground. She stumbled, exposing her side. David struck-

He was on his back, gasping for air. Bands of compressed earth wound around his wrists and ankles, pinning him to the ground.

What had happened? He wasn't sure. A dull pain throbbed in his leg and slowly faded. Did she hit his leg? A sweep, maybe? It had happened so fast.

"The fight is over," Toph's voice announced. "Retire to your room, Ping, and we shall call upon you when we have reached a decision.

* * *

David fought the urge to fidget in front of the masters. He had spent most of the day stewing in his tiny room; much longer than he had expected. They were apparently very thorough.

"We have discussed your test in great detail," said Toph. _No kidding!_ "And we have deemed your skill with earthbending to be sufficient to merit further honing."

David heaved a relieved sigh. He bowed. "Thank you for your kindness."

Toph frowned severely. "This is no kindness. It is simple statement of fact."

David was unsure how to reply. He gave another bow instead.

"Your next challenge will commence tomorrow one hour after dawn." Toph and the other masters rose. Taking this as a dismissal, David turned and began to make his way back to his room.

"Ping," a voice called out. He turned. It was the mousy-haired woman he had dueled.

"Master Penga. To what do I owe the honor?"

"Oh, you can drop the formalities now," she said, waving a dismissive hand. "The uptight part is over, at least for today."

"Um…okay."

"Good." She gave him a sunny smile. "So, no hard feelings about me kicking your butt back there?"

David started, not expecting this from one of the masters. "N-not at all." He gave an embarrassed cough.

"Lighten up a bit, Ping! Here at the Beifong Metalbending Academy we pride ourselves on being informal…most of the time." She glared at Toph's retreating back.

"I saw that!" Toph called in their direction.

"Just testing!" Penga shouted back. Toph turned to their direction briefly, grinning at them and continued on her way.

David frowned. "Wait, she saw? How? Isn't she blind?"

"You don't know?" Penga seemed genuinely surprised. David shook his head. "I would have thought that it was common knowledge by now, but if you really don't know…well, Toph is, obviously, an incredibly good earthbender."

"Yes, I think we both know that."

Penga flashed him a grin. "When she was a little girl she developed the Seismic Sense; an advanced technique that allows her to sense the vibrations in the earth around her and use them to paint a mental picture of what is around her."

"Like bats."

"You mean Wolfbats?"

David's heart skipped a beat. "Yes. That's what I meant."

"Her Sense is so…well… sensitive that she can usually even tell if someone is lying."

 _What?_ That was not good. At all.

David tried to change the subject. "Why was she so stiff and formal before? She seems friendly enough now."

"Toph doesn't like being like that, but she very much likes to have an air of mystery around this place. Keeps the commoners from snooping around, you know."

"Then why are you talking to me like this? What if I don't get accepted? Then I'll just be another outsider."

"Well, let's just say that the four of us are optimistic about your chances of getting accepted."

David's heart leaped in his chest. "Thank you…I-I'm honored."

"Don't get cocky, hotshot. You still have a ways to go."

"Still…I appreciate the vote of confidence."

Penga nodded. "It's getting late. You should probably get some rest for tomorrow."

David felt a twinge of apprehension. _The second challenge_. "You're probably right."

"Sleep, well, Ping." Penga gave a slight bow, as was appropriate between master and student. David responded with a deeper bow, indicative of the respect he had for her.

As David walked away he marveled at the exchange. _Not only do I have a new friend, she's one of the masters!_ He began to search for Mei-Kun. He wondered what she would say about that.

* * *

"Yeah, that's great." Mei Kun was lying on her cot in the temporary huts scattered along the edge of the construction sites of more permanent lodging. She didn't seem too thrilled.

"That's it? I thought you'd be pleased." Was something wrong?

She looked up. "No, of course I am. It's just…" she rasised an eyebrow. "Could you maybe ask your 'friend' if I could actually _get in_ next time?"

David frowned. "They didn't let you in?"

"They tried, but they didn't really have a choice in the matter." Here her accent shifted. "The lady Mei-Kun of the Lung family does not enjoy being made to wait."

David chuckled. "I bet she doesn't."

Mei-Kun smirked. "They didn't stand a chance. But that doesn't mean it was easy."

"Did they say why you couldn't come in?"

Her smile faltered. "Apparently I'm an 'outsider' and I 'don't attend the Academy'." She rolled her eyes. "I thought that you would have chosen a place that was a little more accommodating."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Yeah, well, that's past. I saw your test." The corner of her mouth quirked into a half-smile. "You fought well."

David felt a warm glow in stomach. "Thanks. I still have two tests to pass, though."

Mei-Kun sat up in her bed. "Do you know what they're going to be?"

David shook his head. "No. They're pretty close-mouthed about them."

"You probably have to lift a mountain. Or fight a giant winged boar. Blindfolded."

David grinned. "Now you're just being ridiculous"

"Well, they have a winged boar on their sign. If I don't see a giant winged pig, then that's just false advertising."

David laughed. Mei-Kun's quips comforted him. They reminded him of their time spent on the road. It felt good to know that whatever they had there had not gone away.

"Well, I should be going. Have a nice night."

"You too."

* * *

 **A/N- Here's the new chapter. I hope you enjoy. If you did, please give some feedback. What did you like? What could use some work? It would really mean a lot and help me out. Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer- Avatar the Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon.**


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